Supreme Court Reinstates Terrorism Charges Against Nnamdi Kanu
Friday December 15, 2023
The Supreme Court has reinstated the terrorism charges filed against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) by the federal government. The Court in a judgment it delivered today upheld the Federal Government’s Appeal challenging the verdict of the Appeal Court which had earlier dismissed some of the charges filed against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In upholding the government’s appeal, the Supreme Court held that Kanu must face trial at the Federal High Court.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim held that the Court of Appeal was wrong to hold that Kanu could not be tried again based on the illegality perpetrated against him by the Federal Government, following the invasion of his home.
The Apex court subsequently allowed the appeal of the Federal Government and dismissed the cross appeal filed by Kanu.
On April 8, 2022, Justice Binta Nyako, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge filed against Kanu by the federal government.
The remaining seven counts were later quashed by the Court of Appeal on October 13, 2022. However, on October 28, 2022, the Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution on its verdict which discharged Kanu of terrorism charges to enable the federal government exhaust its appeal at the Supreme Court.
With this verdict of the Supreme Court, the trial of the IPOB leader would resume at the Federal High Court in Abuja.